Unfinishing: Stripping 50s kitchen

[Drew Bernat]

Asking for some friends of mine.

They moved into a house with a 50s-era kitchen. The cabinet face frames are oak, and the doors are nice plywood. Problem is, whatever is on there now basically makes it look orange - you honestly can't tell the wood grain except from the back of the face frames. Ick.

We're looking to try and take off whatever the finish is and replace it with something that looks like actual wood. Problem is, nobody has any idea where to start. We don't know what finish is likely on there or what should be used to take it off. Option 2 is "that'll be way too much work, just replace it" which is a possibility but would be a serious shame.

Question 1: What is the most likely finish on there given the time frame?
Question 2: Is stripping this down a reasonable prospect, given that it is a kitchen (and so in active use)?

Thanks!

[Wes Bischel]

Drew,
The finish could well be amber shellac. My '50s era kitchen is finished with it and when I did some addition/revision work, I matched it with two coats of a 3lb cut (Zinser amber shellac - right out of the can).

Test the finish with a bit of denatured alcohol - if it disolves, it's shellac.

If they are going to strip it, removing the doors and drawers only leaves the face frames to do in situ. A random orbital sander or such (attached to a shop vac) would make quick work of the finish. It's a dirty job, but one that can be done. Just remember, they may not like what they find underneath so it is advisable to do one door first to determine what lurks below the finish. Sometimes paint is the best remedy. (Oh, and shellac is a great under most finishes - after a good cleaning)

Good luck,

Wes

[Steve Schoene]

Be careful on the plywood. Even though 50's plywood veneer is likely to be thicker than used today, there still isn't much meat when you are sanding.

[Wes Bischel]

Be careful on the plywood. Even though 50's plywood veneer is likely to be thicker than used today, there still isn't much meat when you are sanding.

Good point Steve.

Wes